I made a film about my home county.

And you can watch it. For free!

Hello. You might have been wondering what I’ve been up to for the last month or so.

Earlier this year, James Lawrence - known online as Man About Country - spent 21 days hiking over 400km around the county of Essex in England, a place in which we both grew up.

With the support of Essex Arts and Cultural Fund, he asked me to make a film to document his journey. I joined him at key moments, and along with extensive mobile footage he filmed himself I came away with over 15 hours of video on my hard drive.

I had to turn it into something watchable.

The goal of James’s journey was to alter the perception of Essex that has endured for decades - that its people are shallow, unintelligent, and layered in fake tan. Being from Essex as well, I’ve experienced my fair share of eye-rolling and lazy banter when I’ve mentioned where I am from.

But like James I have a deep sense of a pride of my home county. Of course it has its issues, like every part of the country, but there are plenty of stories, traditions, beautiful landscapes and warm-hearted people that make it a complex and fascinating place worthy of our affection.

It is also a place that is changing rapidly. Massive urbanisation is transforming the landscape, climate change is shrinking its coastline, and political divisions run deep. Change is the world’s only constant, and it would be impossible to keep Essex unmoving, fixed in one nostalgic point in time. But part of James’s journey was to capture a snapshot of Essex as it is today, still with living connections to the Essex of the past, to preserve the voices and perspectives of its people in the Essex Sound and Video Archive for generations to come.

When James called me to ask if I could make a film about his journey I jumped at the opportunity. It wasn’t just a chance to play a small part in telling the story of Essex but also to rediscover it for myself. To go again into the untamed marshes and the hedgerows and the woods and the towns, and see its diversity through the new perspective of having lived elsewhere.

I’ve learned a lot in the process.

It was a tough shoot, technically, and I’ve honed my craft throughout it. James had a lot of miles to cover each day, and I had to keep up with him. I had to line up shots for each sequence and make sure I had enough coverage, I had to make sure everything was in focus, correctly exposed, steady, make sure the audio levels were correct and the batteries were charged and I didn’t lose any kit - because I was carrying everything on my back with no vehicle, assistant, or base to return to.

Along the way I’ve discovered some hidden gems and met some fascinating people. It has reinvigorated a love for my home county that I’m thrilled to share with you.

Because the film is now finished.

Over 15 hours of footage distilled into just 75 minutes of The Essex Ways.

We hosted a little screening in Old Hadleigh Fire Station last week, and the full length feature film is now available to watch for free on YouTube.

So this is your invitation to pour yourself a cuppa, put your feet up, and explore my home with me.

Questions? Feedback? Opinions? Feel free to drop a comment or ping me an email. Other than that - enjoy.